Closing Out The Week - Shockers, Privacy, The Tension Between Writing and Publishing

 Last night, I meant to work on another chapter of "Love Stinks". I did not. Instead, I downloaded music or tried to do so. I got home around 2:30 pm, one bus got in late and that put me home even later, and so much for getting off work early.

I decided to watch TV because I will be getting none of this when I move next week. That lasted until 10 pm. I watched - mostly - Ninja Assassin. It had Naomie Harris who I have a crush on. She deserved a better movie (and she got it with Skyfall, didn't she?)

One of my favorite movies is written up on  CrimeReads: ELECTRIC BLUE: A PERSONAL JOURNEY THROUGH 'SEA OF LOVE' AND THE 1980S NYC DATING SCENE 

CrimeReads also spotlights one of my favorite writers THE BACKLIST: NAOMI HIRAHARA AND POLLY STEWART READ CHESTER HIMES' NOIR CLASSIC

The cat disappeared early Thursday morning and when I turned out the lat at 10 pm, I assumed he was gone for the night. No. He was outside the door meowing. He came in and stayed the night. He seems healthier than he had last weekend.

The morning started weird rather early. I take the #5 bus downtown; it gets me to the station around 6:45. I have about 10 minutes for the bus to work, and this morning I walked to the parking lot south of the station. Suddenly, crows started cawing - loudly, like heavy metal loud. It began to feel like The Birds: The Muncie Version. Then it tapered off.

Another early day, I got out around 12:15. I rode the #2 around and back to the station. That had me there around 1 PM. I walked down to the bank for my weekly rent money before coming back to get the #3 that would take me to Payless.

At the grocery, I ran into a fellow I knew, Matt, and we compared notes long enough for me to miss the next bus. The last time I saw him was last year.

I got my groceries, tied enough I wanted to get home, and then ran into a slight problem. The return bus was late, so I missed the #5 home. I did get lucky in that the Mall bus was late and I rode it back until I got close to home. Luckily I did not buy more food.

Rent paid, dinner started, and I started going through the email.

Okay, I cannot quite get away from politics, but this seems important for Hoosiers: Do Indiana privacy laws really protect Hoosiers? Report card issues a failing grade.

Indiana receives a failing grade because the Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act "provides no meaningful privacy protections to consumers." Here's where it fails, according to PIRG:

Companies can keep collecting whatever data they want from people and using it just about however they like.

If consumers want to opt-out of data collection or tell companies to delete their data, they have to do so one at a time to the hundreds, if not thousands, of entities already holding their personal information.

Consumers can’t hold companies accountable in court for violating the few rights consumers are given.

Is anyone surprised? I see it as another example of how well the Republican Party has protected the people of Indiana.

From Austin Kleon I learned of An Exciting Time On the Tension Between Making Art and Sharing It from Tim Kreider's The Loaf. The article is on the conflict between writing and sharing. Do give it a read.

Two deaths that are a bit of a shocker: Wayne Kramer, co-founder of rock band MC5, dies aged 75 and Carl Weathers, Rocky and Predator actor, dies aged 76.

Even more shocking: Discipline charges filed against Madison County judge. I knew this fellow, thought very highly of him, and have no idea how this could have happened.

Another report on the closing of the Muncie Inn and Muncie's homelessness problem: No Room at the Inn: Muncie’s Lost and Unhoused Search for Alternatives.

American Short Fiction sent me a rejection:

Thank you for submitting "Their Bright Future" for consideration at American Short Fiction. We read your submission carefully and regret that we are unable to use it at this time. While the volume of submissions prevents us from responding specifically to your work, we wish you the best of luck with placing it elsewhere.

Sincerely,

The Editors

Dinner was brussel sprouts and ground pork. Not bad.

I worked a couple of blog posts. Whne th cat showed up, I went to McClure's for a cat food.

For Wayne Kramer:

And I think I will call it a day. Tomorrow is for "Love Stinks".

sch